Preface to Halliwell=S Edition the Following Ancient Survey Is Chiefly
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Preface to Halliwell=s edition THE following ancient survey is chiefly valuable for the very curious and graphic account which it affords of the state of the ancient remains on Penmaenmawr, a they presented themselves to an intelligent observer of the early part of the seventeenth century. The manuscript I have little doubt, is the same which is quoted, though very imperfectly, in the additions of Camden, as “a manuscript written by Sir John Gwynn of Gwedyr temp. Charles 1, communicated to Bishop Gibson by his worthy friend, Griffith Jones, schoolmaster of Llanrwst;” in which work the substance of a portion of this manuscript is given. Previously to the taking of this survey, Sir Thomas ap William, one of the family of Cochwillan, had described it about A.D. 1594, but his account does not appear to be preserved. Pennant ascended the mountain on purpose to view the fortifications here described, and he says the account is a very just one. His description of the ancient fortress is interesting, and should be carefully compared with that contained in the following pages. See the notice of it in Pennant’s Tours in Wales, ed. 1810, vol.3, p.116. The village of Pen Maen Mawr is now a very insignificant one, being merely a long straggling collection of mean houses, though scattered amidst the meadows are a few picturesque gentlemen’s seats; but it is one of the most charming localities in North Wales, and it needs no great prophetic gift to foretell that it will ere long become a favourite [sic] resort for tourists, and probably so lose much of its antiquarian character. The rapid changes now taking place in North Wales warn us to preserve what we can of the memorials of its ancient history, and hasten to verify early descriptions of its remains while it is yet possible to do so. The MS. is a somewhat obscure one, and has several errors, here literally followed; but this is not a matter of great importance, the document deriving its chief value from the account of Pen Maen Mawr, the rest being partly taken from early printed sources. The original MS. is in the possession of Thomas Wright, Esq., M.A., F.S.A. November, 1859. 1 2 Preface to Bezant-Lowe’s edition Preface to this reprint The interesting work, entitled “An Ancient Survey of Pen Maen Mawr” by Sir John The present booklet reproduces this fascinating relic once again, with a little Gwynn of Gwedyr, was published in 1859, but only 30 copies were printed and it is ornamentation. The interest it still holds derives as much from its references to the consequently now very scarce. early road across Penmaenmawr and the now-destroyed hillfort of Braich-y-Dinas, At the suggestion of several gentlemen in the district, I have had it reprinted, as from its having given rise to the apocryphal legend of Helig and his llys, curious and I have retained the spelling exactly as it was in the original edition, which, though the natural feature which bears that name actually is. according to Mr. Halliwell, was an exact copy of the MS. Halliwell’s version as printed by W. Bezant Lowe is given, with the variations In addition to the Welsh tradition upon which Sir John Gwynn has based his found in Wright’s text added in brackets where they occur. Where the texts differ work, the existence of forest beds at Rhos, Rhyl and other places, show there must grossly, footnotes are sometimes used. Obvious typesetting errors in the previous have been several alterations of level, and that the coast must, at some former time, editions are also noted. Otherwise all spelling and punctuation, however eccentric, have extended further to the North. The subject has been treated by Messrs C. R. is adhered to. Hall and H. F. Hall in papers published in the Proceedings of the Liverpool When anything relevant can be said to illuminate the narrative, this is also added Geological Society (1864-1866), and by Mr. A. Strahan in the Geological Survey in footnotes. Some illustrations of a roughly contemporary sort have been included, Memoir of 1885 on the Geology of the districts adjoining Rhyl, Abergele, and together with one or two modern photos.. Conway. I wish to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to the Librarian of the T. P. T.Williams University Library, Cambridge, for the kind permission given to make use of the September 2008 University Library copy of Sir John Gwynn’s work. Acknowledgements W. Bezant Lowe The cover illustration is an early view of Braich y Dinas hillfort on the summit of Cae Carw Penmaenmawr, reproduced in The Sphere of November 19th 1910, during the Llanfairfechan controversy over the fort’s imminent destruction by quarry expansion. I am most N.Wales grateful to Mr Peter Crew, formerly Snowdon National Park Archaeologist, Plas June, 1906 Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, for letting me use his copy of this fascinating print. I am grateful also to Mr Nigel Bannerman for the photographs of the ancient tree remains and of Llys Helig reef. 3 4 Introduction Penmaenmawr in 1906.7 Halliwell acknowledges the original MS to be the property of the noted antiquary Thomas Wright. The manuscript now called An Ancient Survey of Penmaenmawr but originally In 1861, Wright independently caused a version to appear in Archaeologia entitled Notes to bee1 observed before you lett your Survay passe your handes has Cambrensis, which was also copied from the MS which Halliwell mentions.8 There been the subject of speculation for centuries; it is the main source of the legend of are many minor differences between the two versions. Neither author attempted any the lost lands of Helig ap Glanawg, whose llys or court was said to have been commentary and both printings contain occasional typesetting errors over and situated in the low-lying region now covered by the shallow waters of Conwy Bay. above the transcription errors presumably introduced from the various readings of Although generally supposed to have been composed by Sir John Wynn of the source MS. Gwydir before 1627, its true author is in fact not known for certain. The famous The geologist and cartographic historian F. J. North discussed these matters at antiquary and Keeper of the Oxford Ashmolean Museum, Edward Lhuyd seems to length, firstly in his book on the Llys Helig9 legend. Much later, he revisited the have seen a copy before the end of the 17th century, as he notes in Parochial whole question in Sunken Cities,10 a book dealing with the whole range of Queries.2 His notes additional to Bishop Gibson’s first edition of Camden’s inundation legends in Wales. North was able to locate an even earlier version of the Britannia (1695) make mention of a manuscript written by ‘a person of quality in Notes.11 He felt confident in dating this to the early 17th century, but it is not in the the reign of Charles 1’. handwriting of Sir John Wynn, which is well known from other documents. He also Another copy made by, or at least for, the Rev. David Lloyd in 1720 is in the felt confident that MS 820D is the actual manuscript once owned by Thomas National Museum of Wales.3 Its existence seems to have become known to Gibson, Wright, and therefore also Halliwell’s source.12 He was less certain whether it was who revised his second 1722 edition of Camden to note that ‘Sir John Wyn of also the exemplar for David Lloyd’s version, but ultimately decided that it was. Guydyr’ was the ‘person of quality’ in question. This note of Gibson=s is the only North was unable to reach a firm conclusion about authorship. He favoured Sir direct authority for ascribing the Notes to bee observed to Sir John Wynn. John Wynn, but was forced to admit that13 The work has been printed several times before. Angharad Llwyd4 printed a portion of it as The History of Helig ap Glanawg in 1831.5 The tourist J. O. the internal evidence that Wynn may himself have compiled the Notes (he did not ... Halliwell,6 later to produce almost the last great description of travels in North actually write [MS820D]) is not altogether conclusive; it lies mainly in the spelling Wales, Notes on family excursions in North Wales (1860), printed a very small peculiarities... edition of 30 copies in 1859, which was re-printed privately by W. Bezant Lowe at He also considers the possibility that Syr Thomas ap Wiliem of Trefriw was responsible, noting the reference by Thomas Pennant14 to the hillfort on 1 be in some printed versions Penmaenmawr 2 Edward Lhuyd Answers to Parochial Queries etc. MS written before 1699; under the entry for Halkyn, Flintshire, Lhuyd writes in his usual polyglot ‘MSS penes D=num Watkyn Owen apud previously described by Sir Thomas ap William, medicus, M.A but his account never Gwydyr in Arvonia .... 6. Of Gruff: ap Kynan’s Family etc. this contains some acct. of Penmaen appeared in print.15 Mawr Prestholm 7. Papers abt Helyg ap Gwdanog[sic] etc 8. Vita Gryff. Conani Lat. Fol. Sen.’ Arch.Camb. Supplement ‘Parochiala’ 1909 Pt. 1 pp 84-5 3 N.L.W Additional MS No. 27 which formed part of the Sir John Williams Collection. It bears the 7 This text, reproduced below, is hereafter referred to as H.BL manuscript title A Copy of Sr John Wynn of Gwiddir Baronet’s Manuscript. Sir John Williams is 8 Thomas Wright ‘Carnarvonshire Antiquities’ Arch.